SEYMOUR – A Main Street property destroyed by a fire in 2022 received approval for a mixed-use redevelopment proposal earlier this month.
Lon Syla, who owns the former Rogol’s property at 141 Main St., was granted unanimous approval by the Seymour Planning and Zoning Commission Oct. 8 to redevelop the site into a mixed-use complex of apartments and commercial space.
The property previously housed two antique shops, a spa and a barber shop.
The hole in the ground left by the removal of the fire-damaged building is scheduled to be filled with a new, three-story building.
It will include 2,700 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor and 14, one-bedroom apartments on floors two and three.
Syla said he is hoping to add a restaurant to the property.
“It makes me unbelievably happy to achieve this and to be able to bring this downtown,” Syla said during an interview with the Valley Indy Oct. 14. “This is going to bring new life to downtown.”
Syla said each of the apartments will be about 750 square feet. He said they will be geared to singles or couples without kids who can take nearby public transportation to get to and from work.
Syla said he doesn’t know how much he’ll charge for rent.
The project does not include parking.
Syla’s lawyer, Dominick Thomas, said a state law approved in July no longer requires off-street parking for projects with less than 16 residential units if there is public parking nearby and access to train and bus lines.
The proposed building is across the street from the Metro North train station and a public bus line.
Last year town engineer Bryan Nesteriak said there are 598 parking spaces downtown, including 306 public spaces.
Syla said the project fills a need for housing and will help pump up the local economy.
“This will bring more people downtown, and the people will shop at the area stores and small businesses,” Syla said. “You can get a haircut or a pizza next door without having to travel to Milford or Hartford. Everything is within walking distance. These people are going to spend money downtown. The town will collect more taxes than having a hole here. Everyone should love this project and support it, because it’s going to bring people together and bring new life downtown.”
Neighboring property owner Mario Trepca, who owns the building next door at 143 Main St., said the project would put the property back on the tax rolls and contribute to Seymour’s future economic growth.
Seymour First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis said the project is good for the dowtown business district.
“That property has been a hole in the ground for far too long. I’m happy the property owner is working with the town to get this project going,” she said in an email. “We’re seeing more life coming back to our downtown, and I’m excited to see this property be part of that.”
Syla previously pitched a plan to the commission in 2023 to build 15 apartments there, with first floor retail and 15 parking spaces. The town’s zoning regulations at the time, however, required more parking spaces than Syla had proposed. As a result, Syla withdrew that application.
“We had plans to build there, but the previous zoning regulations required two parking spaces per unit, and that didn’t work for us,” Syla said. “The new state law helped us. We’re very excited to build something good for the town that will be good for everyone.”
Syla said he has some logistics to work out regarding starting construction.
The Seymour train station across from his property is one of four Metro North Waterbury Branch train lines being rebuilt. Click here for a press release from the state Department of Transportation.
Syla said he’s willing to work with the town and start at a later time to ensure there’s minimal impact to the public.
“We’re willing to work with the town to make sure there is no negative impact to the public with our project and the train station construction,” Syla said.
